It’s off to Zanzibar for the final leg of the trip. First a few nights in Stone Town, then finishing up on the beaches of Zanzibar for our final night with the group. On the way towards Zanzibar we heard from the group who stayed back and opted for the drive to Zanzibar instead - it was something ridiculous like 13 hours of driving in a cramped van. I was so satisfied with my decision to pay extra for the flight.
Arusha airport
Chlöe also paid for a flight, so we got there a night earlier than the rest of the group and went out for dinner.. We had some drinks on the rooftop at Upendo and then went to Cape Town seafood restaurant for dinner, until we were kicked out at around midnight. Stone Town has been really impressive so far. Very different to anything else I’ve experienced in Africa so far. Lots of old winding alley ways and historical buildings that blend African styles with Indian and Arabic designs from traders and migrants.
Lots of interesting winding alleys to explore in Stone Town
The next day I went out for a gym workout, and ambled between coffee shops, admiring the old feeling of Stone Town. Hearing some commotion on the streets, I turned a corner to find a group of people huddled around a TV, watching a tense penalty shootout at the end of a football match. It was some African youth tournament, and Zanzibar were playing. I joined in to watch the final moments of Zanzibar securing the win, to the delight and uproar of the crowd. It was one of those special moments that reminds you of a few things: football can bring strangers from all over the world together, and travel is one of the best experiences you can have. It was a moment of connection in a far away place, with complete strangers. I loved it.
Soon after at a coffee stop, I opened up the first page of the first book I found - it did a good job of capturing my feelings and sentiment on travel:
